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Tough at 18
Contributed by: Bob Rotruck on 2/28/2008

THE LANDLOCKED SAILOR
By Bob Rotruck, CWO3, USN (ret)
Castle Rock, Colorado

When I joined the Navy July 29, 1959 at the ripe old age of 18, I figured I was a pretty tough guy. First string football player for three years, hunter, spent much of my youth on my grand folk's farm, and a Maryland State Policeman's kid. There was nothin' that the Navy could throw at me that I wasn't tough enough to take.

However, I had heard many tales about all military boot camps that when you first got there, they filled you with shots of vaccines so you wouldn't get sick and some of the locations for those shots were pretty close to a guy's manhood with a "square" needle. I had to admit that I was a little queasy about getting into that shot line.

I had joined with a bunch of guys from Washington, DC and surrounding Maryland area. We were all a pretty tough bunch and I wasn't a little guy. Six foot two and a mean, lean fighting machine fresh out of a Maryland high school. One of the guys I became friends with was Jim Diamond.

He was even bigger than me and from down in the "district!" I knew he was tough. We were herded into an area where we were to pack up our civilian clothes for shipment back home, we stood there wearing a new set of Navy skivvies and a pair of black Navy socks.

One of the leaders of our group said fall in line and follow him. We were hollered at to stay in single file and keep it tight. Jim was right behind me and we laughed like this was a big joke. Soon we realized we were in line for shots. We were told to roll up our skivvy shirt sleeves and keep moving and keep it tight.

We could see ahead of us a couple of Navy Corpsman giving shots with what looked like a pretty big needle. A guy two ahead of me in line flinched when the Corpsman was ready to give him the shot and he yelled, "We got us a live one here!"

He reared back with that needle and it looked like he was going to throw it into the guys arm like a dart. I thought, oh no, what is the next shot going to be like. Well, we went on through the line and each of us received about three shots per arm.

We were herded back into the packing center and I was thinking, gee, that really wasn't so bad since I had really expected the worse. We were now standing in line side by side with big Jim on my right. I clearly remember turning to him and saying, "Jim, I think I'm going to pass out!" The next thing I remember was sitting on my butt with my head between my knees. They said I had fallen straight forward without bending my knees.

Fortunately, my forehead hit an empty cardboard box which kept me from flattening my nose. I remember big Jim looking in my eyes and asking me if I was okay. "Sure I am because I'm a tough guy!"

Fair winds and smooth seas!


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Showing 1 of 1 comments
Submitted By: Michael Rule
posted on 2/29/2008 @ 6:46:35 AM
Rated Story
Great story Bob!
[Report as objectionable]
Showing 1 of 1 comments
CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Bob Rotruck

Castle Rock , CO

Bob Rotruck has posted 60 stories and 2 comments since joining on 7/26/2006. Bob Rotruck 's average story rating is 4.89.
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